Anker-Bok Herfstbok
Brouwerij Het Anker

 

 

 

06/27/13 On tap at Rattle n Hum, NYC.. Nice & smooth. Almost too polite. I like this beer. We speak the same language.

 

 

 

 

 

I reviewed this beer the 4th of October, but due to a server crash BA lost my review. Will try to remember how this beer was, because I already threw away my notes.
First of all, I have to agree with absumaster, this is a bok, not an ale (check the meaning of ale and bok beer, Uncle Jimbo). But ok, let's forget this minor detail. I had this beer in my favorite pub, the vlaamsche reus in wageningen, 2008 vintage.

The beer pours a dark-reddish brown color, with a very long lasting three finger thick head (light brown)

Smell: strong caramel malts, some cherries, a bit woody and some dark fruits.

Taste: Up front sweet with caramel malts, maple syrup and honey. In the middle light spicy hops, yeasts and some very light sour cherries. Aftertaste is nutty, woody, spicy and a bit alcoholic

Mouthfeel: very soft and creamy. Thick bodied and medium-low carbonation

Overall: A very nice beer. It is amazing how much a beer can change over a single year. This beer already had the typical vintage taste in it. Very soft and creamy. I will soon go for another one, highly recommendable

How is it possible that this is categorized as a Belgian Dark Ale if the name of the beer is Anker Bok??

A bright brown beer with a big head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass.

Smell is malty with some mild chocolate notes and dark smells that remind me of candisugar and caramel and a bit of dark wood.

Taste is malty with a sweet caramellic toplayer. Hop are almost non-existant. There is a clear Belgian yeast profile to this beer. The yeast probably has been fermenting at lower temperatures, because fruitiness and esters are low. Mouthfeel is sweet and my lips are getting sticky. A good example of a Bock, but maybe a bit one dimensional.

Sampled this beer on-tap at the Kulminator in Antwerp in Nov. 2005. There it was listed as "Bier van der Herfst Carolus Bok". The Het Anker website describes this beer as a "bock" but also says that top fermenting yeast was used, making it an ale.

This beer poured a hazy, dark coppery color with creamy, tan foam that clung to the glass and coated the glass. The smell was nicely malty. The taste was malty and vinous with modest hoppiness in the finish. The mouthfeel was creamy with medium body and moderate carbonation. This was a nice, somewhat strong beer for the cold weather.